Editor’s note: This article was first published in May 2013, during the economic crisis. The businesses named (City Bird, Detroit Wallpaper Company, Tea & Tarot, Scrub Club de K9, Barber & Supply) and the price of film-style wedding videos (under 1,000 euros) reflect that moment; some may no longer exist.
We’re continuing our roundup of business ideas gathered from other parts of the world, where once again innovation, originality and creativity stand out, along with, in some cases, the sheer simplicity of the idea.
As we can see, and as we’ve been showing for a while now, hybrid businesses are among the most profitable businesses: offering customers several different services that work well together. Running a hybrid business is what has saved many entrepreneurs from the crisis. (See also: 5 innovative and profitable business ideas from around the world.)
1. A crafts shop that doubles as a studio and gallery
When we give advice on how to make money from home, we usually talk about making handmade products of every kind. The problem for many people is that they don’t know how to sell those products afterwards.
City Bird is a shop that sells these products, collected from local “artists,” as well as its own. It sells them both in physical stores and online. On top of that, artists can exhibit their work in the shops. It’s a very original and profitable hybrid.
2. Custom-made wallpaper
Detroit Wallpaper Company specializes in made-to-order wallpaper for offices and homes. You can order any background with any design you like, whether you want the buildings of the Big Apple behind you at the office or a forest full of trees in your living room. You just ask, and the company makes it for you. It’s a way to give a home an eye-catching rustic look without putting up a single piece of wood.
3. Tea and tarot
Some people may find it hard to believe, but tarot generates billions in revenue every year from phone readings alone, which means a lot of people use it. Tea & Tarot is a tea room (they also serve coffee) that stands out as a meeting point for those who read the cards and those looking for answers. In this kind of place you’ll find dozens of tarot readers while you have a drink. The result is a full house practically at all hours of the day. This business idea is very profitable, especially in times of crisis, which is when many people get into the habit of using this kind of service.
4. A playground for adults
Many people miss their childhood, even certain swings or rides that are hard to find these days, since the way we have fun has changed. In these parks for adults you can find mini golf, foosball, ping-pong tables, an ice rink and even recreations of old-fashioned swings. The idea isn’t anything out of the ordinary, but it enjoys a very romantic clientele: more than 30% of its customers are couples where the boyfriend wants to give his girlfriend a special gift, a trip back in time to feel love the way they did as kids. How lovely! I’ll move on before I start crying 🙂
5. A spa for dogs, and something more
Here’s the business some people find hard to believe. Pet spas do exist, and depending on the country where you open one, they can be very profitable. At this spa exclusively for dogs (Scrub Club de K9), your dog is treated like royalty: it gets massages to relieve stress, a bath, and there’s even a treadmill so it can exercise. What makes this business more profitable is that it also sells all kinds of products for dogs, such as healthy treats, bath products that won’t harm the dog, and so on.
6. A barbershop and clothing store hybrid
Is a barbershop profitable? What about a suit shop? And a sportswear store? Well, let’s combine them all. Barber & Supply is a chain of barbershops that are also shops, or, if you like, sportswear stores that also offer classic barbering. In these establishments you can order a made-to-measure suit while you get your hair cut. You can also buy sportswear. Their hallmark is exclusivity and their motto is perfect customer service.
7. Wedding videos edited like movies
There are already plenty of companies and freelancers who will film your wedding, but the new kind of wedding video that’s increasingly in demand lets you watch your wedding as if it were a movie, with a soundtrack, credits, testimonials from the guests and so on. Some companies produce and edit these videos perfectly for less than 1,000 euros.
8. Body sushi restaurants
This phenomenon is catching on in much of the world: customers eat a meal served on the naked body of a model. In Spain, however, these venues have run into problems and controversy, and in a previous article we came to the defense of this business owner, since the model takes part freely, and besides, this business is nothing new and has been around in different parts of the world since before I was born.
See also: Conclusion: the most profitable businesses are clothing, food and technology
If you’re looking for business ideas focused on the internet and technology, here are 10 internet business ideas that are working in other countries. And since technology-based companies are all the rage right now, here are 10 ideas for technology-based companies.
Further reading
Featured image: Patti Abbott, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Flickr.
